Dermatologist Christine J. Ko, MD, prides herself on being able to provide patients with an accurate diagnosis so they can have the most effective treatment possible. Just as important to her are the relationships she forms with her patients, whether they are adults, adolescents or children. “I try to treat patients as I would a family member with the same condition,” she says.
In addition to being a clinical dermatologist, Dr. Ko is also a skin pathologist, or dermatopathologist. This additional training helps her to better evaluate skin biopsies for her patients.
Dermatopathology is a key part of dermatology, says Dr. Ko. “The correct diagnosis often rests on a careful correlation between clinical and microscopic findings, something that is especially important for complex cases,” she says. “We can arrive at this diagnosis by reviewing prior biopsies, taking new biopsies, and consulting our team of dermatologists and dermatopathologists at our weekly Grand Rounds meetings.”
A professor of dermatology and dermatopathology at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Ko is particularly interested in skin cancer. “One of my passions is to better understand the mechanisms of squamous cell carcinogenesis,” says Dr. Ko. This is one of the most common types of skin cancer today and is highly treatable if detected early, she says.
